Glory, it’s coming! Part 2

When Jesus is on His throne for His millennial rule, what will make nations seek peace?  There is a puzzling verse in the Bible – God said to Jesus, 

‘You will rule them with an iron scepter, you will dash them to pieces like pottery.’  Psalms 2:9

This verse puzzled me for a long time.  How can our loving Lord Jesus dash people to pieces and rule with an iron scepter?  That is what tyrants do.  

However, it makes sense in the light of the Millennium.  Anybody who wants to go to war will come face to face with Jesus.  If a couple wants to divorce, the authority of Jesus will be there to make sure they remain married.  There will be no nonsense like abortions or all the other rubbish the devil sells to people.  It is because the devil’s voice will be muzzled,

‘He [an angel] seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.’ Revelation 20:2  

The Millennium is a prelude (forerunner) of the coming eternal Kingdom of God.  What a future for God’s children!

Glory, it’s coming! Part 1

Look at these wonderful words, 

‘He [Jesus] will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples.’  Isaiah 2:4a

That refers to the Millennium when Jesus will reign from Jerusalem for a thousand years (referenced in Revelation 20:4-6).  It will be a wonderful time on this present earth.  Jesus will settle the disputes of Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Ukraine, the United States and many other nations.  Not only that, 

‘They will beat their swords into plough shares and their spears into pruning hooks.  Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more.’  Isaiah 2:4b

Just think!   There will be no more armaments factories.  It will not matter who has what grudge or which nation wants to expand its territory or settle arguments, there will be no more war.  

The Millennium is a prelude (forerunner) of the coming eternal Kingdom of God.  What a future for God’s children!

Does God promise and not fulfil?

Numbers 23:19 tells us, 

‘God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak, and not act? Does He promise and not fulfil?’  

The quote is interesting.  The Word of God says God keeps His word, His promises.   Does that hold true in real life?   What about God’s promise to Abraham – the land of Canaan (present day Israel) would belong to Abraham’s descendants?  See Genesis 15:18-21; Joshua 1:4

The land God promised to Abraham’s descendants was larger than what the Jews today describe as Israel.  The Jews have been robbed of their land by various means.  So did God change His mind or fail to fulfil His promise?  

No!  A holy God cannot promise and not deliver.  That would be completely antithetical with God’s character.  Can God fulfil His promise to Abraham on the new heaven and earth?  No!  The present old earth will be destroyed by fire and renewed.  With no sea it will be one universal kingdom without borders that fills the whole earth.    

The last book of Scripture, Revelation, reveals the thousand year reign of Christ.  That is when Christ will return and rule the whole (old) earth from Jerusalem.  The borders of Israel will be as God promised to Abraham.  So the Millennium is an essential ‘component’ of God’s plan.  It explains how God will fulfil His promises to Abraham and others.  It also explains a very interesting verse in Psalm 2.  More about that will follow.